Had lunch at Szechuan Gourmet in NYC today with David Bueker, Jay Miller and Gene Vilensky. A really fun afternoon with good friends and a superb meal - highlights were the pork dumplings with chili and soy (three good portions of these vanished quite quickly between the four of us), the lamb with cumin and the pork belly with leek. The wines weren't a bad bunch either, impressive across the board with pretty much every bottle shining (and a lot of excess wine, as we had quite a few bottles that remained unopened).
2008 Franz Künstler Hochheimer Stielweg Riesling Alte Reben (Rheingau)
Starts out slightly tight with some tart citrus fruit and mineral flavours, but Jay said this needed air and it really transformed after an hour or so in the decanter, showing a really expansive flavour profile of lemon and pear fruit, floral and smoky elements with a really intense, vivid rocky minerality underneath and really good acids keeping it very precise. Very broad and rich in the mouth with a lovely texture, dry without ever feeling austere and finishing long - I will definitely have to look out for more dry wines from this producer.
2007 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Spätlese halbtrocken (Pfalz)
A little awkward at first with aromatics of savoury cornmeal, faintly yeasty elements and a touch of nail polish, but was very elegant and silken in the mouth without the rough edges it showed on the nose. Really benefited from air with some bright peach, lime and toasted almond and grainy flavours emerging and the faint VA element disappearing, developing a nice creamy texture in the mouth -
2002 Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Riesling Auslese trocken (Mosel)
Yup, Auslese trocken. Intense stuff with all the power and richness you'd expect at this ripeness level, bright peachy and other yellow fruited flavours that turn savoury and earthy on the back end, finishing dry and very long. Fascinating wine, an iron fist of a Riesling though unlike the other two drier wines it didn't really benefit from air, instead becoming a little monolithic and heavy with time.
2004 Domaine Truchot-Martin Morey St. Denis Vieilles Vignes
Haunting aromatics, perhaps even better to smell than it was to taste (though it tasted lovely!) with an incredible scent that combines red fruits, violets, leather and warm earthy and dusty notes. Very graceful in the mouth, flavour without weight but amazing presence with a silken texture. Wow.
1998 Müller-Catoir Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling Spätlese (Pfalz)
Incredible wine, combining a kaleidoscope of bright fruit that ranges from citrus to the tropical with developed smoky and petrol accents and touches of spices and minerals, and a mouthfeel that somehow manages to feel creamy and rich while still keeping a sense of amazing freshness, energy and balance.
2002 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese (Mosel)
Seemed a little awkward, perhaps in a slightly muted phase as there was plenty of bright fruit and baby fat sweetness here that matched the spice of some of the hotter dishes nicely, but this didn't show the precision, depth or the bright aromatic profile I usually expect from Christoffel.
1990 Jos. Christoffel Jr. (Christoffel-Prüm) Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese *** (Mosel)
Really complex with lots of developed smoky, petrolly and earthy elements on top of bright peach, apple and faintly tropical fruit elements, lots here to explore as the wine kept unravelling and getting better with air and really delicious with the food as this had the sweetness and richness to match the slightly hotter dishes very well (perhaps aside from the shredded stir fried potatoes, which were seriously spicy).
